Even as Coronavirus has taken grip of several parts of the world having infected 1.25 lakh people across the globe, Congress led by its heir apparent Rahul Gandhi has started off a campaign to spread panic and raise false alarm.
In India, the Modi government has been successful in largely containing the Coronavirus till now, with 80 individuals testing positive for the novel virus till now. The number being largely small compared to the manner in which much smaller and less populous countries like Italy have got affected far more severely.
Despite this, Rahul Gandhi has been constantly trying to strike panic from his Twitter handle. Last month, he had tweeted, “The Corona Virus is an extremely serious threat to our people and our economy. My sense is the government is not taking this threat seriously. Timely action is critical.”
The Corona Virus is an extremely serious threat to our people and our economy. My sense is the government is not taking this threat seriously.
Timely action is critical.#coronavirus https://t.co/bspz4l1tFM
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 12, 2020
Now, he has again tweeted, “I will keep repeating this. The #coronavirus is a huge problem. Ignoring the problem is a non-solution. The Indian economy will be destroyed if strong action is not taken. The government is in a stupor.”
I will keep repeating this.
The #coronavirus is a huge problem. Ignoring the problem is a non solution. The Indian economy will be destroyed if strong action is not taken. The government is in a stupor. https://t.co/SuEvqMFbQd
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 13, 2020
Contrary to Rahul Gandhi’s remarks, the Modi government has taken some serious steps which have been far more effective than those taken by any other government. This is the reason why there has not been much community transmission in India.
Most of the cases are those coming from abroad and the highest level of community transmission has been infection to their immediate family members.
India has cancelled visas granted to Chinese passport holders long ago. This was in line with the Modi government’s plan of action to check the spread of Coronavirus in India.
Even in the case of international travellers suffering from the infection was a matter of surprise given that Covid-19 was not yet declared a Pandemic before a Bengaluru techie who had returned from the US via Dubai tested positive.
Similarly, 15 Italian tourists tested positive for Coronavirus in India before the Virus was declared a Pandemic. The Bengaluru techie as well as the Italian tourists had extensive travel history within India. But adequate quarantine measures were taken in the nick of time and those who came into contact with confirmed cases tested to avoid a sudden spike in the spread of Coronavirus within India.
In Assam, for instance, 400 people were quarantined after they came into contact with an American tourist who tested positive for Coronavirus.
Corona 2: State Health Dept has traced more than 400 contacts in different places including MV Mahabahu and resorts where he stayed. Teams of doctors and microbiologists have been keeping a close watch on these people who have been quarantined.
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (Modi Ka Parivar) (@himantabiswa) March 8, 2020
It was due to such expeditious State response that Coronavirus has been largely contained despite international travellers infected with Coronavirus coming to India and interacting with a large number of people.
Then there were challenges in the form of Coronavirus suspects missing from observation facilities, that is, absconding from the hospitals where they were being tested.
Apart from such measures and launching awareness campaigns like caller tunes released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as soon as the Coronavirus had hit India, several other measures have been taken at other fronts.
The Foreign Ministry led by career diplomat, S. Jaishankar sprung into action as soon as the infection assumed the shape of an apocalypse in the Hubei province of China. The India nationals were evacuated from Wuhan and other areas of Hubei, quarantined after being brought to India and released only after they tested negative.
Now, similar rescue operations have been carried out in Iran, another country severely affected by the novel infection with a substantial Indian diaspora.
First batch of 58 Indian pilgrims being brought back from #Iran. IAF C-17 taken off from Tehran and expected to land soon in Hindon. pic.twitter.com/IqZ8NUK1M6
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) March 10, 2020
In fact, India has quarantined itself from the rest of the world by suspending all existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN/International Orgs, employment, project visas till 15 April 2020. This will come into effect from 13 March 2020. The government has also advised the Indian nationals to avoid all non-essential travel abroad.
Therefore, even though this might cause economic harm in form of lesser tourists and international travellers turning up into India, but Modi government has clearly placed health above wealth in a laudable initiative to check the spread of Covid-19 in India.
In fact, the screening process at the Indian airports too has been quite effective, eliminating possibilities of a sudden spike in Coronavirus-infected travellers coming into the country without being tested beforehand.
https://twitter.com/MajorPoonia/status/1238355397108314113?s=20
Both the ministers who are immediately concerned with containing Coronavirus- External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Health Minister Harshvardhan are experts in their respective fields and have successfully kept the novel virus at bay.
On one hand, you have Rahul Gandhi, a clueless dynast who barely lives in, or knows anything about, India and relies upon hearsay or sensationalism to tarnish the government’s image, and on the other hand you have a career diplomat safeguarding India from Coronavirus patients coming through other countries and a professional surgeon, an Otolaryngologist to be specific dealing with containment of the novel infection.
Prime Minister led awareness campaign, constant media updates and quick dissemination of information- everything reflects government’s seriousness towards the issue.
Rahul Gandhi either doesn’t understand how the government is tackling the entire issue or he has no idea about how an epidemic is contained.
In fact, the Modi government’s initiatives have been unprecedented. It is not the first time India has been hit by an epidemic. When the H1N1 influenza Pandemic had hit India in 2009, 1357 people had perished. The then UPA regime had failed miserably in checking the spread of the influenza. Modi government’s response, on the other hand, has been far more forthcoming and effective. It is ironic that Rahul Gandhi should blame the present dispensation in such circumstances.
